The Honda Accord remains a great sedan. The ride quality is as smooth as some cars that cost a lot more, and better than some of them. This is an easy car to drive. It corners well, with steering that's light and precise.Handling on bumpy roads is incredibly good. A series of big bumps in the middle of a corner taken at speed hardly affects the Accord's direction at all. The suspension damps out the bumps and keeps the tires planted on the road. This handling balance is a benefit of the Accord's strong chassis and double-wishbone front and rear suspensions. At the handling limit, it tends toward understeer like all front-drive cars; the front tires lose grip before the rear tires. The Michelin tires on our test car were quiet, and their ride quality flawless. The Accord EX V-6 feels light on its feet. It offers sharp transient response (quickly turning left, then right, then left again). The Accord has excellent brakes. In cruise mode, the 3.0-liter V6 engine just purrs along, barely audible. It's so smooth and so quiet that sometimes a glance at the tachometer is required to confirm that it's running. Stomp on the throttle and it growls with the authority of a free-breathing cylinder head. This engine delivers lots of power for merging into traffic or entertaining its driver. Its single-overhead-cam V6 is equipped with Honda's VTEC (Variable valve Timing and valve lift Electronic Control) system and tuned to deliver optimum torque over a broad rev range. While the V6 provides lots of gusto, most people order the 2.3-liter VTEC four-cylinder engine. It's smooth, powerful and efficient, generating 150 horsepower at 5700 rpm. An Accord equipped with this engine is a great package that deserves consideration by anyone shopping for a roomy mid-size car that excels in quality, durability, reliability, smoothness, ride quality, practicality and fuel efficiency. All Accords sold nationwide meet or exceed California's Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) standard, regardless of engine. One model, sold exclusively in California, meets the demanding Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) standard, the most stringent in the world. SULEV represents an 86 percent reduction in hydrocarbons over LEV; the California Air Resources Board says a SULEV engine emits only 2.3 pounds of ozone-forming hydrocarbons during 100,000 miles of driving, about the same as spilling a quart of gasoline.
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